


Misfire

by ChaosKirin



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Gen, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 09:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17846867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosKirin/pseuds/ChaosKirin
Summary: When you ask John to do something and he's not ready to do it, you'd better be prepared for him to tear you down a peg or two.Please feel free to comment. I love comments.





	Misfire

"He... Y'know." Freddie rolled his eyes, twirling his hand before him, encouraging Roger to come to his own conclusion. "He was... early."     

"Ohhh," Roger said. "Well, that kinda takes the fun out of it."      

John grimaced, gently plucking a bass string, and tuning it just a bit closer to where it was supposed to sound.     

"And I told him," Freddie said. "Just relax and enjoy it, right? But..." He trailed off with a shrug. "So the next morning I said, 'don't do it again.' And, of course, then I had to tell him that these things just happen sometimes."

"Nothing like undue pressure," Brian said with a self-satisfied chuckle. "You probably scared him. No wonder he... You know. He managed to get Freddie Mercury in bed, and then you got him all flustered."   

"Oh, it wasn't _that."_ Freddie brushed Brian off with a wave. "Anyway, we're not here to talk about me, are we? We're here to talk about John."             

John looked up, blinking. He twisted the D-key just a little too much, and the string snapped.       

Wonderful.   
  
And the others were staring at him.        

"Well don't look at me," John said, droll. "I didn't cause your fling to--"   

"Don't _say it,”_ Freddie snapped. "It's embarrassing enough that it happened twice. No, I mean, we'd like you to write a song. You're part of it all, John. Really part of it. And we think you should know that."      

It was a touching sentiment, to be sure. And he appreciated the reassurance. He'd write eventually, when he was ready, when he had an idea. "I'll get there," he said.        

"No, I mean _now,_ darling. Look, there's no time like the present. And you can write songs about anything. So just pick a subject and _do it."_       

"But--" John tried to argue.         

"No," Freddie said. "I won't hear it. It's decided. We'll have a John Deacon song on the next album."         

John sighed. If he wanted Freddie and the others to let him work at his own pace, he was going to have to teach them all a very valuable lesson, which meant speaking their language. "And it can be about anything?" John asked.       

"Yeah, anything," Roger replied.               

"Anything," Brian agreed. "We know you've got it in you, the way you fix our lyrics. So..."               

John nodded.     
  


\---       
     

It took a few days for him to get the song together, but when he did, he had a masterpiece. Absolute brilliance - a subtle, jumpy tune that would satisfy even the most discerning of fans, and short enough that his bandmates could fit it in among their own epics without argument.  

It had a killer bassline, too. And a little guitar--Brian would like that. Just the kind of beat Roger liked to play, too, and of course... Freddie would sing the lyrics.              

"I was inspired," John said, as he handed the lyrics to Freddie. He had the notes scribbled out on separate sheets, which he passed to Roger and Brian.       

And then, his mischief managed, John sat back in an old office chair and waited.

"Well, it's short," Brian said. "Good for a first go, I guess."             

"Oh, short songs were _in_ in the fifties," Roger said. "There's nothing wrong with a short song, mate. They're catchy. Memorable. Lemme see the lyrics sheet, Fred."

John hadn't taken his eyes from Freddie the whole time, and the singer had turned a shade of red bright enough to rival a boiled lobster. "John, this..."         

John arched his eyebrows. "Like I said, I was inspired."  
  
"But--You can't make me sing this. Record this."                

Roger snatched the sheet from Freddie's hand, whisking it away to where Brian stood behind a bandstand, still poring over the arrangement. After a moment, he tittered immaturely. "Deaks, this is _brilliant."_

Brian, too, was red, but he was covering his smile with a hand.   

"I mean, it had to be short," John said. "There's not a lot I can write about the subject, all things considered. But I think you'll find it a bit... biographical. Don't you think, Freddie?"         

Freddie seemed torn between rage and pride. Out of all of them, John knew exactly the right buttons to push to knock Freddie down a notch. Still, he played it cool, smoothing his hair back as he asked, "And what to you call this monstrosity?"   

John blinked, slowly, and smiled. "Misfire," he said.         

Roger and Brian dissolved into giggles.


End file.
